Greggs offer at Ilminster rest area, located opposite the main entrance amongst the customer seating area. Greggs opened in July 2020, shortly after the amenity building was fully refurbished after being left derelict following the closure of Little Chef. Greggs didn’t open as soon as the refurbishment was completed due to the covid lockdowns and government rules. Ilminster has benefitted from having a Greggs as it’s a recognisable high street name, which gets more popular at services/rest areas by the year. Greggs is also liked due to its great value for money. They provide a range of baked goods and hot/cold drinks for good prices with no inflation, attracting a larger customer base by making food more affordable for customers. Store is very typical of a Greggs, fairly small takeaway unit with theme colours of black and blue with their logo in large above the unit. It lacks its own customer seating, so EG included a small seating area opposite this unit. My visit was during the morning, so Greggs was clean & very well stocked (always disappointing to find a poorly-stocked Greggs). My pic evidences the modern interior of Ilminster. Greggs appears to be taking Subway’s roadside fame slightly as many Subways in filling stations & EG buildings, such as this, have closed in favour of Greggs. Subway was never made available at Ilminster. Greggs definitely takes the morning trade at Ilminster, even when Burger King opens. Greggs operates from 6am-5:30pm here so it’s really only 10-5:30 where Ilminster has two food options. Greggs was quiet during my visit as it was 7am and the amenity building was empty apart from me. Greggs normally becomes busier by 8am and continues to be well-used until 5:30 when it closes. Greggs isn’t signposted from either side of the A303, but is advertised at multiple points around the site and included on all totem poles for Ilminster.

Photo taken on 04/04/2024 by Tom Moon.

Assigned to galleries: Ilminster, Greggs, A303, EG Group